The following original Xbox games ("Xbox 1") support 16:9 and are on the Backwards Compatible list for 360, therefore should* run widescreen automatically when played on a 360:

25 to Life
Amped
Amped 2
Armed and Dangerous
Atari Anthology - widescreen in menus only
ATV: Quad Power Racing 2
Batman Begins
Bionicle
Black - minor underscan on sides, restart mission after cinematic if colors are muted
Bloodrayne 2 - 16:9 broken/incorrectly implemented on 360
BMX XXX
Buffy the Vampire Slayer™: Chaos Bleeds - numerous emulation problems, NOT recommended
Burnout
Burnout 2: Point of Impact
Burnout 3: Takedown
Catwoman
The Chronicles of Narnia The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
Close Combat: First to Fight
Colin McRae Rally 4
Colin Mcrae Rally 2005
Crash Twinsanity
Crash Bandicoot: Nitro Kart
Crash Nitro Kart 2
Dai Senryaku VII: Modern Military Tactics
Dead or Alive 3 - options menu changes movies to 16:9
Dead to Rights - minor underscan on sides
Deathrow
Doom 3 - intro cinematic 4:3, no gameplay issues
Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil - intro cinematic 4:3, no gameplay issues
Dreamfall: The Longest Journey
ESPN Major League Baseball
ESPN NFL 2k5
Evil Dead: Regeneration
F1 2001 - options menu to change to 16:9
Fairly Odd Parents: Breakin' da Rules
Fantastic 4
FIFA 2003
FIFA 2004
FIFA 06 Soccer
FIFA Street
FIFA Street 2
Fight Night 2004
Final Fight: Streetwise
Forza Motorsport
Freedom Fighters
Full Spectrum Warrior
Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers
Future Tactics: The Uprising
Goldeneye Rogue Agent
Grabbed by the Ghoulies - lots of underscan, no gameplay issues
Grand Theft Auto 3
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - opening cinema is 4:3
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Halo 2 - HUD targeting overlay is stretched, but game underneath is true widescreen.
Half-Life 2
High Heat MLB 2004
Hitman: Contracts
IHRA Professional Drag Racing 2005
Indigo Prophecy - minor underscan on sides
Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer
James Bond 007: Nightfire - driving levels are a "squished" 4x3
Judge Dredd: Dredd vs. Death
Justice League Heros - some slowdown when facing bosses
kill.switch - minor underscan on sides
Max Payne 2
Medal of Honor European Assault
Mercenaries
Minority Report
Monster Garage
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Mortal Kombat : Deception
MotoGP 2
MTX: Mototrax featuring Travis Pastrana
MX vs. ATV Unleashed
MVP Baseball 2003
MVP Baseball 2004
Nascar Thunder 2002
Nascar Thunder 2003
Nascar 2006: Total Team Control
NBA 2k3
NBA Ballers
NBA Street V3
NCAA College Basketball 2k3
NCAA® Football 06
Need For Speed Underground 2
NFL 2k3
NFL 2k5
Ninja Gaiden
Ninja Gaiden Black - no sound in opening logo, but gameplay is perfect - HIGHLY recommended!
NHL 2K3
NHL Hitz Pro
Outrun 2 - Runs in 16x9 but the picture cuts out after staring a race
Panzer Dragoon Orta - minor underscan on sides... but SWEET!
Pinball Hall of Fame
Playboy The Mansion
Predator Concrete Jungle
Project Gotham Racing 2
Quantum Redshift
RalliSport Challenge
Red Dead Revolver
RLH Hunt or be Hunted
Rocky
Rogue Trooper
RoadKill
Scooby Doo! Night of 100 Frights
Sega GT 2002 - bundled version w/ JSR has slow gameplay, not recommended (has been updated but not tested yet)
ShellShock: Nam '67
Sid Meier's Pirates
Sniper Elite - crashes, doesn't play on UK systems, only plays with 480p output
Soul Calibur II - 16:9 in 480p only!
Spawn Armageddon
Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy
Spyro A Hero's Tail
Starsky & Hutch
Star Wars Battlefront
Star Wars Battlefront II - minor interlacing problems in some cinematics, no gameplay issues
Star Wars: Republic Commando
State of Emergency
Street Fighter Anniversary Collection - original 4:3 games stretched to 16:9
Street Racing Syndicate
Super Monkey Ball Deluxe
Test Drive: Eve of Destruction
The Da Vinci Code
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction - intro cinematics 4:3, no gameplay issues
The Punisher
The Simpsons Hit and Run - intro cinematics 4:3, minor vsync issue but very playable!
The Sims 2
The Terminator Dawn of Fate
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Test Drive
The Thing
The Suffering
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory - 16:9 in single player only! Some underscan on sides.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4
Tony Hawk's Underground 2 - occasional minor framerate hiccups but no gameplay issues
True Crime Streets of LA
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue
Unreal Championship 2 - underscans on sides, no gameplay issues
World Series Baseball 2k3 - menus in 4:3
Yourself!Fitness

This list is based on the Xbox 16:9 support list at HDTV Arcade (http://www.hdtvarcade.com/hdtvforum/index.php?autocom=custom&page=xboxa) and HDGames.net (http://144.92.43.200/hdg/hdg.asp), combined with the current Xbox 360 Backwards Compatibility list (http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/backwardcompatibilitygameslist.htm). A big thanks to AVS's Islanti for testing/confirming many of the games.

*Only the games that are bold have been tested by AVS members as playing 16:9 on the Xbox360. Also, this list is imcomplete: there are a lot of games on Microsoft's Backward Compatible list that aren't listed at HDTV Arcade or HDgames.net, so widescreen support for these games is unknown. If there are any errors/updates or suggestions about this list, please post or PM me the information. Thanks!

UPDATE: Here's a link to the list of Xbox backwards compatible games on Wikipedia. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Xbox_games_compatible_with_Xbox_360#List_of_compatib le_titles) Notice for North American widescreen users the last two columns on the right are the relevant info.

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy didn't run 16:9 on the 360 when I played it. Although it was still fun. :)

Conflict desert storm doesnt run in 16:9

Removed Jedi Academy and Desert Storm... thanks Egret and Spinks!

Anyone else have any corrections/additions?

great list, will come in handy.

Black
====
-Full widescreen
-Colors sometimes get muted when switching from cutscene to mission. To correct this, restart mission.

The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
=============================
-Intro cinematics are in 4:3
-Gameplay is in full widescreen
-Very good anger management: Hulk Smash!

Thanks Andrew! If you test out any others, please report back.

I have both in my Gamefly queue... that Hulk one looks cool.

Can anyone confirm Doom3 and Half Life 2 for this list?

we'll we I tried half life 2 when the 360 initially was released I tried it and it was not widescreen. Unless further updates changed it

we'll we I tried half life 2 when the 360 initially was released I tried it and it was not widescreen. Unless further updates changed it

Bummer... can anyone confirm or deny HL2 is not widescreen on 360 with the latest BC update? I'll leave it on the list as a possibility 'till I hear otherwise.

Also... Doom3. I know a lot of people have tried this and I'm pretty sure it supports 16:9 on the 360. Can someone post a confirmation please? :)

any clue when The Sims 2 will be on XBox 360 ?

HL2 runs in widescreen. The framerate is still worse than it was on the XBOX, but it is playable (barely).

HL2 runs in widescreen. The framerate is still worse than it was on the XBOX, but it is playable (barely).
Updated list - thanks Tabasco!

Bummer... can anyone confirm or deny HL2 is not widescreen on 360 with the latest BC update? I'll leave it on the list as a possibility 'till I hear otherwise.

Also... Doom3. I know a lot of people have tried this and I'm pretty sure it supports 16:9 on the 360. Can someone post a confirmation please? :)
Intro is 4:3 Gameplay is 16:9 and smooth.

Intro is 4:3 Gameplay is 16:9 and smooth.

Updated list for Doom3... thanks govschmo!

I just rented Black and I have small black bars on the sides. No other game runs this way and even the dashboard looks normal. Anyone else see vertical black bars?

I just rented Black and I have small black bars on the sides. No other game runs this way and even the dashboard looks normal. Anyone else see vertical black bars?
I think it was like that on my regular Xbox too. Too overscan compensation I guess.

I just rented Black and I have small black bars on the sides.

Thanks for the warning Stryker, I updated the list.

Anyone try the longest journey game yet? I dont know anything about it but it intrigues me.

Anyone try the longest journey game yet? I dont know anything about it but it intrigues me.

Dreamfall got mixed reviews: EGM didn't care for it, but IGN and Gamespot thought it was pretty cool.

The guy at EBgames said a lot of 360 owners are buying it now that's it's on the backcompat list.

Here's it's ranking on GameRankings.com (http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/929643.asp?q=dreamfall).

Anyone try it and can report how it plays on the 360?

I tried SSX3 and I was not able to get 16:9. I couldn't find an option for it ... maybe it was well hidden, but I was able to find the option on my GameCube version. Gameplay on the 360 was good, but there was some audio skipping.

I tried SSX3 and I was not able to get 16:9.

BUMMER! I'm disappointed to hear this because SSX games are some of my favorites and I was really looking forward to re-visiting #3 on the 360. :mad:

Anyway, SSX3 removed from list. Thanks for the post Puzzle!

Max Payne 2 runs 16:9 and seems to run the same as it does on my XBX.

Max Payne 2 runs 16:9 and seems to run the same as it does on my XBX.

Thanks for the confirmation Frank... list updated.

Atari Anthology runs widescreen. Well as much as it does on XBX, menus only.

Atari Anthology runs widescreen. Well as much as it does on XBX, menus only.

Thanks again Frank! List updated.

Can you elaborate a bit please? Are you saying there's black bars on the sides of games when playing? I know the Atari games are 4:3 of course, but can you describe how are the games presented on a 16:9 TV?

Black bars. Since the backgrounds of most of the games are black you really cannot tell but the "gameplay" is centered.

For people curious what the quality of the older games is on the 360 in widescreen, here's a photo of in-game action from Ninja Gaiden Black on my HT setup:

http://static.flickr.com/46/180259787_a9c4ed3fa3_o.jpg

...and here's Simpson's Hit and Run:

http://static.flickr.com/75/180259808_32074b2af5_o.jpg

Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (awesome game) runs in Widescreen. This game runs in 720p on the original Xbox, so the HD image is not scaled, it was made for 720p. I highly recommend it!

I played Black and it performed flawlessly. I'm on a RP-CRT so I didn't notice underscan on the sides (I think I'm >5% overscan right now) and no color muting problems. Literally not a single hiccup the entire game.

This weekend I picked up Crash Nitro Kart as a party game and GTA: San Andreas for myself, and both seem to be working perfectly in widescreen as well.

I know folks have complained about the X360's backward compatibility, but I have to say that every game I've tried has worked well (the three above plus Darkwatch, Halo/Halo 2, Outlaw Golf 2, Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance II, and Battlefront II). Admittedly there are some games not on the list I'd like to have played, but given how busy I've been with Oblivion and other X360 games, I have no room to complain.

Thanks for the info SCWells... list updated for Crash and GTA:SA.

Does Darkwatch, Outlaw Golf 2 or Balder's Gate Dark Alliance 2 support widescreen?

Thanks for the info SCWells... list updated for Crash and GTA:SA.

Does Darkwatch, Outlaw Golf 2 or Balder's Gate Dark Alliance 2 support widescreen?

No, unfortunately last time I checked those were all 4x3. I switch the X360 output to 480p and use the horizontal stretch on my TV to prevent burn-in. Annoying, but workable since the games themselves play fine.

I can confirm that DOA 3 will play in widescreen. Been a few weeks since I played it but I seem to recall that the intro may be 4:3 (cant remember), but after changing the option, the gameplay is all widescreen. Gameplay was relatively smooth( :D though somewhat bouncy :D ) from what I observed on a 106" widesrceen at 15'.

Tried to get SSX 3 to work, but no good. Buddy of mine said that there was an option in the dash on the original xbox, but I've yet to see this for myself.

I can confirm that DOA 3 will play in widescreen.

Thanks Appleseed! List updated.

whats intro cenematics 4:3 mean?

whats intro cenematics 4:3 mean?

It means that the game has opening movie(s) and/or logo(s) that have black bars on the left and right when viewed on a widescreen TV.

My experience with gameplay on the following games is 16:9

State of Emergency
The Thing
World Series Baseball 2K3 (Menus in 4:3)
Yourself Fitness

Thanks littlemonkey! List updated.

I was playing TH American Wasteland in WS and didn't notice it wasn't supposed to be WS until the other day. I hit the button that switches between 4:3/16:9 and it looked normal in 4:3. But I am so used to watching it in WS that I can't play it in 4:3 at all.

I found a copy of Ninja Gaiden Black this weekend. The gameplay seemed smooth enough, but the black levels were the worst i've ever seen on my TV. Made me want to barf. It doesn't look this way in the photo posted by DaverJ earlier in this thread, so maybe it was a fluke? I'll try it again soon.

August 2006 updated added the following titles to this list:

Aggressive Inline
Burnout 3: Takedown - confirmed
Catwoman
Crash Bandicoot: Nitro Kart
Dead to Rights
ESPN Major League Baseball
The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer
MTX: Mototrax featuring Travis Pastrana
MX vs. ATV Unleashed - confirmed
Sid Meier's Pirates
Serious Sam
True Crime: Streets of LA
The Suffering

Can anyone confirm or deny any of the above titles play widescreen on an Xbox 360 please? And if they play, are there any notable issues?

Also... Half Life 2 is supposed to be updated!!! Could someone try it again and see if the framerate issues have been improved please?

TIA!

I can confirm RalliSport Challenge plays in widescreen, looks great, and plays smoothly.

Quite fun actually, and I only paid $5 for a used copy! ;)

Thanks for the update and suggestion ileff! List updated.

Sniper Elite crashes and won't run in widescreen. It will only play in 480p

Sniper Elite crashes and won't run in widescreen. It will only play in 480p

Thanks SethKo! List updated. Please let me know if you try any other games on the list.

Sid Meier's Pirates does run in widescreen.
Aggressive Inline and Serious Sam do not.

Sid Meier's Pirates does run in widescreen.
Aggressive Inline and Serious Sam do not.

Thanks for the info Aaron, list updated. Bummer about Serious Sam... I was hoping to find that one cheap. :(

btw... has anyone tried Half Life 2 since the "update" and can report if the game runs any better on a 360 now? :confused:

Dead or Alive 3 - intro 4:3?
If you go into the options you can change the movie playback format from 4:3 to 16:9.

Dead or Alive 3 - intro 4:3?
If you go into the options you can change the movie playback format from 4:3 to 16:9.

Thanks Xabora... list updated.

Manhunt does not run in widescreen....

Thanks for posting Renagade! Manhunt removed from list.

Dead to Rights is widescreen but still has small black bars on the sides similar to Black.
The Incredibles Rise Of The Underminer is widescreen
Grand Theft Auto III is widescreen.
Grand Theft Auto Vice City is also widescreen. (Opening cenamatic is 4:3)

Great work Renagade! Thanks for sharing and please report back if you find any more updates or corrections.

List updated.

btw... has anyone tried Half Life 2 since the "update" and can report if the game runs any better on a 360 now? :confused:

I played thru the first couple of levels. The load times are now comparable to what the original xbox delivered. Although the load time to get to the initial menu is still about 1.5 to 2 min!

Frame rate seems a better, but still chugs in selected spots (and at every quick save).

Hope that helps....

Frame rate seems a better, but still chugs in selected spots (and at every quick save).

Hope that helps....

Thanks Keith, good info!

Would you say playing it on the 360 is equal to original Xbox or does it still feel emulated?

I picked up MK: Deception for $10 on-line. Pretty fun game, and smooth on the 360.

However, characters do seem a little "squashed". Has anyone else noticed this, and was this a factor in widescreen on Xbox1?

Does the MK Deception bonus disc with MK1 play as well?

Does the MK Deception bonus disc with MK1 play as well?That only comes with the special edition MK Deception. You should probably start a thread for it on the Xbox forum asking if it works (assuming DaverJ does not know).

That only comes with the special edition MK Deception. You should probably start a thread for it on the Xbox forum asking if it works (assuming DaverJ does not know).

Your assumption is correct... I just got the regular edition from bestbuy online for $10. :) I'm not sure about the extra disk. If it does, it's doubtful it runs 16:9.

Thanks Keith, good info!

Would you say playing it on the 360 is equal to original Xbox or does it still feel emulated?


I would say that it plays equal to the original xbox. In fact, I actually think the intermediate load screens are a bit quicker. Go figure!

That and the airboat no longer falls thru the gameworld in the Water Hazard level.

Does the MK Deception bonus disc with MK1 play as well?
Yes, but 4:3 only.

I can confirm Crash: Twinsanity is 16:9. The AA sure didn't help the menu text in this one though... can jaggies cause permanent visual damange? ;)

I don't know why this one isn't on the list, but "Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy" is both backward compatible and 16:9. A decent little platformer, too. Very colorful and some humorous moments.

so, am i crazy or do i not recall being able to play the original halo on xb1 in widescreen? it really sucks this game is 4:3 only on the 360...

so, am i crazy or do i not recall being able to play the original halo on xb1 in widescreen? it really sucks this game is 4:3 only on the 360...

You are either crazy :D or you stretched the 4:3 to fill the 16:9.

...or, like me, you didn't have a widescreen TV when you originally played it. ;)

I don't know why this one isn't on the list, but "Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy" is both backward compatible and 16:9. A decent little platformer, too. Very colorful and some humorous moments.

Thanks for the updates Islanti!!!

Sorry I missed them when you originally posted. :o If you have any more info to pass along, please post and I will update the list pronto.

...or, like me, you didn't have a widescreen TV when you originally played it. ;)


AHA! that might be it. heh, i'm so used to widescreen tvs that it's hard for me to remember back when i didn't have one...

Scrapland is NOT 16:9 via BC at this time (although it looks a bit wider than 4:3).
True Crime: Streets of LA is confirmed 16:9.
Super Monkey Ball Deluxe is confirmed 16:9.
The Suffering is confirmed 16:9.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory is confirmed 16:9 in single player. Multiplayer was locked at 4:3 by the developer IIRC.

Awesome update Islanti... thanks so much! Please report back if you find any additional info.

List updated.

Rogue Trooper. Confirmed 16:9

(Good game too)

Rogue Trooper. Confirmed 16:9

Thanks Brainodo... I had to look this one up -- never heard of it. Looks cool.

List updated.

F1 2001 is pretty clearly 4:3 on my xbox, yet it's on this list. Am I missing an in-game option or something, to get it to render widescreen? I've no problems with other widescreen games like HL2 and Doom 3.

Edit...discovered the in-game display options :-)

Great list. Thanks for work.

F1 2001 ...discovered the in-game display options :-)

Thanks for the update rpete - list updated for your confirmation.

I just got Splinter Cell Chaos Theory and it looks GREAT in 720p, except that there is a 2 inch area on each side of the screen that is not filled. It is definitely widescreen but it's just not filling the entire screen. Is this because it's 480p Widescreen upconverted to 720p?

Is this because it's 480p Widescreen upconverted to 720p?

Probably something like that. I might just be the engine isn't really optimized for 16:9.

there is a 2 inch area on each side of the screen that is not filled.Is this in single player or multiplayer? Do you notice a difference in the two modes?

Is this in single player or multiplayer? Do you notice a difference in the two modes?
I only play SP.

I just got Splinter Cell Chaos Theory and it looks GREAT in 720p, except that there is a 2 inch area on each side of the screen that is not filled.I pulled out the game again and took a look. You must have a very big TV! I see about 2% (not 2 inches on my 42") on each side as non-filled. This is pretty common... developers do this to deal with TVs that have 5-10% overscan. By not filling the entire screen they don't have to worry so much about UI elements appearing offscreen. The ~2% on Chaos Theory is pretty minimal. Probably whatever TV the developers used had about this much overscan. :)

I pulled out the game again and took a look. You must have a very big TV! I see about 2% (not 2 inches on my 42") on each side as non-filled. This is pretty common... developers do this to deal with TVs that have 5-10% overscan. By not filling the entire screen they don't have to worry so much about UI elements appearing offscreen. The ~2% on Chaos Theory is pretty minimal. Probably whatever TV the developers used had about this much overscan. :)
Just a 27" HDTV.

Great List.

Should be stickied.

I don't see any mention of Knights of the Old Republic (the only title I kept when I got rid of my original XBox).

It doesn't work by default, but strangely enough when I select "Wide Zoom" mode on my 60XBR1, it fills the 16:9 without any apparent distortion (it has black 4:3 bars beforehand), though hitting the Xbox button causes the guide/shutdown displays to be truncated..

Hmm, from those links it doesn't look like it has a widescreen option, though. Very interesting.

I don't see any mention of Knights of the Old Republic (the only title I kept when I got rid of my original XBox).

It doesn't work by default, but strangely enough when I select "Wide Zoom" mode on my 60XBR1, it fills the 16:9 without any apparent distortion (it has black 4:3 bars beforehand), though hitting the Xbox button causes the guide/shutdown displays to be truncated..

Hmm, from those links it doesn't look like it has a widescreen option, though. Very interesting.

Knights might look good in 16:9 mode, but it isn't supports as the rest of the list does.

Several new games are being added to the BC list according to Aeropause here (http://www.aeropause.com/archives/2006/12/360_bc_list_upd.php).

The 16:9 ones (cross-referencing off the HDTV Arcade list) are:

Dead or Alive Ultimate
Destroy All Humans
Evil Dead: Fistful of Boomstick
Indigo Prophecy
I-Ninja
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
MotoGP
MX Unleashed
Scarface
Splinter Cell: Double Agent

Also, I noticed that Buffy the Vampire Slayer™: Chaos Bleeds should already be on the list.

Thanks for the heads-up Islanti! I was wondering when MS was going to give us some more backcompat titles.

I'm going to hold off updating this list 'till MS updates their list... unless someone confirms any of the new titles play now.

But I did add Buffy - thanks for catching that.

Thanks for the heads-up Islanti! I was wondering when MS was going to give us some more backcompat titles.

I'm going to hold off updating this list 'till MS updates their list... unless someone confirms any of the new titles play now.
These additions came from MS via the U.K. Xbox site I found out. You should wait for them to show up on the U.S. site before adding them though as some may only be compatible with the PAL (European) versions.

The final list has been posted, so these are all safe. I personally confirmed the following games are widescreen last night:
MK: Armageddon
Splinter Cell: Double Agent
Indigo Prophecy

There's one addition, Soul Calibur II, but no word on whether it's rendering 480p 16:9 and upscaling in BC or using the 720p 4:3 mode. I'll try to test this tonight. I should also be getting Scarface next week, so I'll post the word on that as well.

EDIT: Can we please get this thread re-stickied?

can someone confirm if Burnout 3 really is widescreen?
I tested it on my original Xbox a widescreen TV a few months back & 16:9 was not supported in the game.

The game either had black bars on the sides or I has to stretch the image to fill it.

can someone confirm if Burnout 3 really is widescreen?
I tested it on my original Xbox a widescreen TV a few months back & 16:9 was not supported in the game.

The game either had black bars on the sides or I has to stretch the image to fill it.

I don't have it anymore or I would double check, but I did test it at one point and I'm pretty sure it ran widescreen with no problem on the 360.

Is Family Guy The Video Game 16:9?

bump

Anyone know about Family Guy?

can someone confirm if Burnout 3 really is widescreen?
I tested it on my original Xbox a widescreen TV a few months back & 16:9 was not supported in the game.

The game either had black bars on the sides or I has to stretch the image to fill it.
It was widescreen with the last round. I'll try to remember to test it with this version. Sadly sometimes they undo things from version to version.

A few more updates... Soul Calibur II is 4:3. :(
Scarface is NOT 16:9, despite being supported in the game.
Hopefully the emulator will be fixed for these problems soon.

DaverJ - Indigo Prophecy is confirmed 16:9. Noticed it wasn't bold in the list. :)

Buffy: Chaos Bleeds is 16:9. The emulation is crap, however. The background "action" music will get stuck on full volume during following cutscenes, the controller will be stuck vibrating when you clear out an area until you reach the next area, there is massive slowdown in any open area, and some health/energy drops from downed enemies shoot off to Never Never Land and not the player. I don't remember any of these issues being present on the original Xbox. I think this has been on the list for quite some time and they've never updated its emulator. I get the feeling it came along for the ride from some other game that does work properly and nobody really cares about this one.

Also, Indigo Prophecy is bolded, it's just on the list twice.

Thanks for the report on Buffy and catching the Indigo Prophecy goof ferrisg! List updated.

i wish this thread would be made a sticky already...

I know this might not relate to a Xbox game running widescreen, but does anyone know what the new update for GTA: SA does? The game seemed to run well before, but the first time I loaded the game since the recent BC update, a new download was required.

Were folks having problems with this game?

I know this might not relate to a Xbox game running widescreen, but does anyone know what the new update for GTA: SA does? The game seemed to run well before, but the first time I loaded the game since the recent BC update, a new download was required.

Were folks having problems with this game?
There's one emulator for all BC games. When you put in any emulated game you get the update whether that game needs it or not. There were no changes for GTA:SA reported on the MS official List (there's usually an "Updated!" tag), so I expect nothing has changed.

Thanks for the info.

I always thought that each game had its own emulator.

Originally, I was really sad to find out that SSX 3 wouldn't run in widescreen on the 360, but I've come across a solution. I had noticed that the 4:3 output of the game looked squished. If you have the vga cable and are using a tv capable of displaying at least 1024x768, go to the console settings in the dashboard and set the resolution to 1024x768. Make sure your tv is set to "wide" mode or the equivalent. Now start the game. Aside from menus and the HUD, the ingame graphics will be identical to the 16:9 mode of the game on the OG Xbox. There isn't any apparent stretching and it looks amazing!

Originally, I was really sad to find out that SSX 3 wouldn't run in widescreen on the 360, but I've come across a solution.

Good tip king... and welcome to the forum! :)

I am currently playing DreamFall: The longest Journey and can confirm it is widescreen. No issues at all.

Great game by the way.

I am currently playing DreamFall: The longest Journey and can confirm it is widescreen. No issues at all.

List updated... thanks for sharing ctiq21!

Originally, I was really sad to find out that SSX 3 wouldn't run in widescreen on the 360, but I've come across a solution. I had noticed that the 4:3 output of the game looked squished. If you have the vga cable and are using a tv capable of displaying at least 1024x768, go to the console settings in the dashboard and set the resolution to 1024x768. Make sure your tv is set to "wide" mode or the equivalent. Now start the game. Aside from menus and the HUD, the ingame graphics will be identical to the 16:9 mode of the game on the OG Xbox. There isn't any apparent stretching and it looks amazing!

Thanks for the tip. I've been annoyed with the display of this title for months.

April 07 BC Update is live! (http://www.majornelson.com/archive/2007/04/19/april-07-back-compat-update.aspx). I tested the following: Unreal Championship 2
Mercenaries
Panzer Dragoon Orta


MechAssault 2 is only 4:3 unfortunately. :(

Despite being "updated", Soul Calibur 2 is not 16:9. :( :( :(

^^ You rock Islanti!!!! :cool: I was just digging up this thread when you replied, not only making it easier to find but also filling in what works... thanks so much!

Let me know if you find any others on the list confirmed as widescreen. Oh, and Soul Caliber 2 at 720p will never be widescreen -- but it is in 480p. ;)

Anyway... list updated!

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy didn't run 16:9 on the 360 when I played it. Although it was still fun. :)

I just got Jedi Academy and unfortunately it's 4:3 on the 360. :( I was disappointed because according to HDTV Arcade it supports 16:9 and 480p. Oh well.

DaverJ - Re: Soul Calibur 2. My understanding was that all BC games run at 480i/p. Maybe that's not true, though.

I do have another couple updates after a quick trip to Gamestop...
Star Wars: Republic Commando runs in 16:9 (despite the caveat that it only runs in 16:9 in 480i)!
Also, confirmed Full Spectrum Warrior is 16:9.

DaverJ - Re: Soul Calibur 2. My understanding was that all BC games run at 480i/p. Maybe that's not true, though.

The Tony Hawk games are 720p and run that way via BC. I think there's a couple... should we notate them on this list?

Edit: Freedom Fighters also runs 720p on a 360. I think if the game supports 720p, it will run 720p via BC.

The Tony Hawk games are 720p and run that way via BC. I think there's a couple... should we notate them on this list?

Edit: Freedom Fighters also runs 720p on a 360. I think if the game supports 720p, it will run 720p via BC.
Just to be clear... when you say this, are you saying that the game is OUTPUT at 720p or actually rendered at 720p and not upconverted / anti-aliased? It was all speculation but I recall people pointing out that some 720p titles did NOT render at 720p via BC. They were 480p and upconverted. The assumption was that this was done for performance.

Just to be clear... when you say this, are you saying that the game is OUTPUT at 720p or actually rendered at 720p and not upconverted / anti-aliased? It was all speculation but I recall people pointing out that some 720p titles did NOT render at 720p via BC. They were 480p and upconverted. The assumption was that this was done for performance.

Off the top of my head, Freedom Fighters and Tony Hawk Underground 2 on the 360 outputs 720p with sharp details, especially the small text in FF, that looks identical to the original Xbox at 720p.

If I remember right, there was a Major Nelson podcast (I think?) with the BC guy and he said if the game had a 720p option on the original Xbox, that's what the 360 BC version would do.

But with that said, I'm not saying some originally 720p games are or aren't rendering at 480p and AAed/upconverted -- I'm just not familiar with that theory. If you know a source, I would love to check it out.

Confirmed Forza and Grabbed by the Ghoulies. Lots of underscan on GbtG is the only issue I noticed.

Confirmed Forza and Grabbed by the Ghoulies. Lots of underscan on GbtG is the only issue I noticed.

Awesome, thanks again Islanti! :cool:

List updated.

Unreal 2 looks good and plays widescreen though like the game Black it has small bars on either side though I would still consider it a widescreen game.

Unreal 2 looks good and plays widescreen though like the game Black it has small bars on either side though I would still consider it a widescreen game.

Thanks for the alert... list updated.

Maybe my definetion of running in widescreen is different than yours but Halo 2 does not run in widescreen, it merely stretches to fit the new width unless of course I am doing something wrong or that IS the defenition of widescreen.

Maybe my definetion of running in widescreen is different than yours but Halo 2 does not run in widescreen, it merely stretches to fit the new width unless of course I am doing something wrong or that IS the defenition of widescreen.

^^^ Only the HUD overlay in Halo2 is stretched, so the targeting reticle appears egg-shaped. The game underneath is running in true widescreen (16/9).

I'll make a note of this in the list.

OK, a few more confirmations...

The Punisher (I've had this on for a while but must have forgot to post it here)
Close Combat: First to Fight
James Bond 007: Nightfire

OK, a few more confirmations...

The Punisher (I've had this on for a while but must have forgot to post it here)
Close Combat: First to Fight
James Bond 007: Nightfire

As always, good work Islanti.

List updated. EDIT: Oh, and I gave you a shoutout in the OP. :D

Heh, thanks. It's amazing how cheap used games are when EB/Gamestop are doing a buy-2-get-1-free sale.

does anyone know if xmen legends is on the bc list? that's a great 720 game for xbox...

This guide reminds me I need to buy the GTA collection for Xbox.. I tried playing my GTAs on my HD Plasma through my PS2 yesterday, and it looked like pure hell.. yuck.

Hello all. Nice forum. This is my first post.

Just so you all know, Soul Calibur II does in fact support widescreen, but only in 480p (or 640 x 480 if you're using VGA). Street Fighter Anniversary Collection also supports widescreen. When I get home from work later tonight I can post pics if you'd like. :)

Hello all. Nice forum. This is my first post.

Just so you all know, Soul Calibur II does in fact support widescreen, but only in 480p (or 640 x 480 if you're using VGA). Street Fighter Anniversary Collection also supports widescreen. When I get home from work later tonight I can post pics if you'd like. :)

Hi Neuco... welcome to AVS. I added your info to the list.

The Street Fighter games... aren't those old SF2/SF3 games? Wouldn't they be 4:3 by design? Are they stretched, cropped, or are just the menus widescreen and the gameplay is 4:3? :confused:

Republic Commando plays in 16:9 for me on either 720p or 1080i.

Republic Commando plays in 16:9 for me on either 720p or 1080i.

Did it get fixed in the most recent BC update? :confused: I remember having problems with widescreen and this game on the original Xbox in 480p, but maybe they fixed this one now.

I'll take the 480i-only disclaimer off... thanks for the update!

Did it get fixed in the most recent BC update? :confused: I remember having problems with widescreen and this game on the original Xbox in 480p, but maybe they fixed this one now.

I'll take the 480i-only disclaimer off... thanks for the update!

I guess so, I read this and checked it out on both resolutions just in case and it worked fine for me.

Hi Neuco... welcome to AVS. I added your info to the list.

The Street Fighter games... aren't those old SF2/SF3 games? Wouldn't they be 4:3 by design? Are they stretched, cropped, or are just the menus widescreen and the gameplay is 4:3? :confused:Street Fighter Anniversary Collection is 16:9, but the image is stretched. I have to set my TV to 4:3 Normal for SFAC to be displayed properly.

does anyone know if SSX On Tour on XBOX is a true 16x9 game, So it switches to widescreen mode automatically in 480i?

Street Fighter Anniversary Collection is 16:9, but the image is stretched. I have to set my TV to 4:3 Normal for SFAC to be displayed properly.

Thanks for the update Cow, fixed the list.

Got a KDL-52XBR2, running through Monster VGA at 1080p, GTA: san andreas has two fairly large black bars on the sides. Any solutions?

Got a KDL-52XBR2, running through Monster VGA at 1080p, GTA: san andreas has two fairly large black bars on the sides. Any solutions?

Are the bars large enough that it looks like 4:3, or is it widescreen but not reaching the edge of the screen?

GTA-SA has this problem a lot of other games do as well

on GTA-SA playing on widescreen does not do anything for the game it is just stretched the HUD is ok like the map and guns stuff it looks fine but the rest is stretched the cars look to wide I just play it in 4x3 looks like the opposite of HALO 2 where the HUD is stretched but the game isnt



also is there s good reason why the 360 cant just dray what is on the sides of the screen when in 4x3 mode if you pan the camera sideways you can see everything just have the 360 see what is there and compensate for it

Bloodrayne2 was one of the few 720p xbox1 games. It just made bc and looks like crap. If you have the 360 set to 1080 or 720 it looks horrible. Horizontilly compressed to 4:3 with huge black bars on the side. Image looks totally squeezed in.

even setting the 360 to 480p is not good. the aspect ratio gets better and i get smaller bars on the sides but then I get bars on the top and bottom too and the tv won't stretch to fill screen. I lose about 30% of my screen size.

Doom3 on the other hand is full on widescreen on 360 and looks and plays better than it ever did on xbox1

Bloodrayne2 was one of the few 720p xbox1 games. It just made bc and looks like crap. If you have the 360 set to 1080 or 720 it looks horrible. Horizontilly compressed to 4:3 with huge black bars on the side. Image looks totally squeezed in.

even setting the 360 to 480p is not good. the aspect ratio gets better and i get smaller bars on the sides but then I get bars on the top and bottom too and the tv won't stretch to fill screen. I lose about 30% of my screen size.Confirmed that Bloodrayne 2 is incorrectly implemented. :(

Here's a few titles from the latest BC Update that I've tried. I have my 360 hooked up using a VGA cable to a Sony KDL52XBR2 LCD.

Justice League Heros - Fully supports 16x9; runs well except for some slowdown when facing bosses and mid-level bosses.

Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil - Same as Doom 3; opening cinema is 4x3; game itself is 16x9 and runs very smoothly.

Outrun 2 - Runs in 16x9 but the picture cuts out on my TV after staring a race.

As to games already on the list, James Bond: Nightfire - On my TV, the first person levels are 16x9 but the on-rails and driving levels are a "squished" 4x3; ie: it looks like a 16x9 picture that has been pushed in to fit in a 4x3 window.

Thanks for the updates Tony! I added them to the list. Please let us know if you have any additional updates to this list.

Is anyone else having the same problems he's having with Outrun2 and Jame Bond: Nightfire?

Thanks for the updates Tony! I added them to the list. Please let us know if you have any additional updates to this list.

Is anyone else having the same problems he's having with Outrun2 and Jame Bond: Nightfire?

My pleasure. The only other title I can contribute to the list right now is Nascar 2006: Total Team Control. It became BC as of the April 2007 update and definitely runs in widescreen. The game ran with no visible slowdown compared to the original Xbox.

My pleasure. The only other title I can contribute to the list right now is Nascar 2006: Total Team Control. It became BC as of the April 2007 update and definitely runs in widescreen. The game ran with no visible slowdown compared to the original Xbox.

Excellent, thanks... added.

I just updated the list with a lot of unconfirmed updates from the last 360 Backwards compatibility update.

If anyone has played any unbolded original Xbox games on this list on a 360 and can confirm if it correctly displays 16:9 widescreen, please post here. Thanks!

I tried Guilty Gear X2#Reload on my widescreen TV with a VGA connection and it runs in 4:3.

It is not on the bc list last I checked. I do note that there is a 16/9 option on the ps2 version of ssx3 played on the ps3.

does anyone know if SSX On Tour on XBOX is a true 16x9 game, So it switches to widescreen mode automatically in 480i?

Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow isnt proper widescreen. It only stretches the image if you set the 360 to 480p/i but its not widescreen. At 720 its plain old 4/3.

From the November 2007 BC update:
25 to Life
Armed and Dangerous
Bionicle
Burnout 2: Point of Impact
The Chronicles of Narnia The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
Colin Mcrae Rally 2005
ESPN NFL 2k5
Fantastic 4
FIFA 06 Soccer
Final Fight: Streetwise
Freedom Fighters
Future Tactics: The Uprising
Goldeneye Rogue Agent
High Heat MLB 2004
MVP Baseball 2003
MVP Baseball 2004
Nascar Thunder 2002
Nascar Thunder 2003
NBA 2k3
NBA Ballers
NBA Street V3
NCAA College Basketball 2k3
NFL 2k3
NHL 2K3
NHL Hitz Pro
Playboy The Mansion
RLH Hunt or be Hunted
Rocky
Starsky & Hutch
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Test Drive

I just bought Crimson Skies: Road to Revenge from the "Xbox Originals" on the 360. When it's done downloading I'll report status.

I just bought Crimson Skies: Road to Revenge from the "Xbox Originals" on the 360. When it's done downloading I'll report status.

Crimson Skies is a 4:3 title.

From the November 2007 BC update:


Islanti... thanks for the info... have you tested any of the new ones yet? :confused:

OP UPDATED

Islanti... thanks for the info... have you tested any of the new ones yet? :confused:

OP UPDATEDNo, I don't have any of the ones on the list. I'm probably not going to go get anymore with the Originals out now. I much prefer being able to run the games from either of my two 360s without a disc. Sadly the Originals info doesn't tell us which games are 16:9, though, so we'll still need this list.

I can verify Project Gotham Racing 2 runs in 480p widescreen. Just picked it up used for $2.99 at gamestop. No problems found.

I noticed Ninja Gaiden was not bold on your list. I am currently playing it and it is formatted properly in 16:9 widescreen using 720p HD setting on the 360. I am a self admitted graphics whore and normally hate playing previous-gen games, but this game looks pretty decent using the 360 and HDTV.

I just finished Indigo Prophecy, but I was unable to get it in full widescreen using the HD settings 480p, 720p or 1080i. It had very small black side bars, but not as large as the normal size you get when viewing 4:3 content on a widescreen. The game's video area is set in the extra wide cinematic widescreen and gameplay information is displayed in the top and bottom black bars.

Indigo is listed in bold on your list so if anyone has successfully used it in 16:9 without the tiny black sidebars I would be interested in learning how.

I noticed Ninja Gaiden was not bold on your list. I am currently playing it and it is formatted properly in 16:9 widescreen using 720p HD setting on the 360. I am a self admitted graphics whore and normally hate playing previous-gen games, but this game looks pretty decent using the 360 and HDTV.

I just finished Indigo Prophecy, but I was unable to get it in full widescreen using the HD settings 480p, 720p or 1080i. It had very small black side bars,

Thanks for the info -- list updated.

Played Fight Night 2004 tonight and it is in full 16:9 widescreen.

Kill Switch is widescreen with underscanning on the sides.

nba 2k3 and nfl 2k5 are widescreen. i think they may underscan on the sides though. im not really sure which mode on my TV shows the picture correctly.

Thanks for the updates phatmik2 and CaCHooKa Man -- list updated.

Are you sure it's NFL 2k5 that backwards compatible? It's not on the official backcompt list (http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/backwardcompatibilitygameslist.htm), but NFL 2k3 is on there twice so I don't know if that's a mistake or not. :confused:

nfl2k5 is back compat, best $1.99 I ever spent picking that up after it went on the list a few months back. It's listed under ESPN NFL2k5 on the list, probably why you missed it ;)

Pinball Hall of Fame runs on the 360 and supports widescreen. It looks pretty good, too. The opening movie is pillarboxed, but gameplay is pure widescreen goodness.

What about Counter Strike?

This appears to be a dead thread, but..

I have been interested in 360 backwards compatibility lately. The FYE near me has 50% off of all new original xbox games. I picked up Doom 3 and it looks amazing on 720p, btw.

Anyway, I noticed wikipedia has an extensive chart on 360 backwards compatibility, including details about widescreen support. I hope this info helps others decide which titles to grab :D

I can't post a URL because i'm a noob on the AVS forum... however the name if the wikipedia article is "List of Xbox games compatible with Xbox 360"

I can't post a URL because i'm a noob on the AVS forum... however the name if the wikipedia article is "List of Xbox games compatible with Xbox 360"

Thanks for the link - added to the OP.